Minor Descent Progression in E Minor for Mandolin

The E Minor scale on mandolin: the Minor Descent progression in its chords, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes: E F# G A B C D

Tuning: Standard (G D A E)

Scale

Scale shapes

4NPS - First Position

E|--9--11--12--14-|
A|--9--10--12--14-|
D|--9--10--12--14-|
G|--8--10--12--14-|

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Em	E G B	`0 2 2 0`
I	Em	E G B	`4 2 2 3`
I	Em	E G B	`0 2 2 3`
I	Em	E G B	`9 9 10 7`
II	F#dim	F# A C	`2 4 3 2`
II	F#dim	F# A C	`5 4 0 2`
III	G	G B D	`0 0 2 3`
III	G	G B D	`4 5 5 3`
III	G	G B D	`4 0 2 3`
III	G	G B D	`7 5 2 3`
IV	Am	A C E	`2 2 3 0`
IV	Am	A C E	`2 2 3 5`
IV	Am	A C E	`5 2 3 5`
IV	Am	A C E	`5 7 7 5`
V	Bm	B D F#	`4 4 5 2`
V	Bm	B D F#	`4 4 5 7`
V	Bm	B D F#	`7 4 5 7`
V	Bm	B D F#	`7 9 9 7`
VI	C	C E G	`0 2 3 0`
VI	C	C E G	`0 2 3 3`
VI	C	C E G	`5 2 3 3`
VI	C	C E G	`5 5 7 8`
VII	D	D F# A	`2 0 0 2`
VII	D	D F# A	`2 4 5 2`
VII	D	D F# A	`2 4 5 5`
VII	D	D F# A	`7 4 5 5`

Minor Descent (i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII)

Chords: Em – D – C – D

E|0---------------------------2---3---0---------------------------|2-----------------------0---3---5---2-----------------------0---|
A|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0---------------0---3---------------0---------------0---3-------|
D|2-------0---4---5-------------------2-------0---4---5-----------|0-------2---5-----------------------0-------2---5---------------|
G|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2---5-------------------------------2---5-----------------------|

E|0---------------------------2---3---0---------------------------|2-----------------------0---3---5---2-----------------------0---|
A|3-------------------2---5-----------3-------------------2---5---|0---------------0---3---------------0---------------0---3-------|
D|2-------0---4---5-------------------2-------0---4---5-----------|0-------2---5-----------------------0-------2---5---------------|
G|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2---5-------------------------------2---5-----------------------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Em7	E G B D	`0 0 2 3`
I	Em7	E G B D	`4 0 2 3`
I	Em7	E G B D	`x 2 5 3`
I	Em7	E G B D	`4 5 5 3`
II	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`2 2 3 0`
II	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`2 2 3 5`
III	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`4 4 5 2`
III	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`4 4 5 7`
IV	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 3 0`
IV	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 3 3`
IV	Am7	A C E G	`2 2 3 3`
IV	Am7	A C E G	`5 5 7 8`
V	Bm7	B D F# A	`2 0 0 2`
V	Bm7	B D F# A	`2 4 5 2`
V	Bm7	B D F# A	`2 4 5 5`
V	Bm7	B D F# A	`4 4 5 5`
VI	Cmaj7	C E G B	`9 9 10 7`
VI	Cmaj7	C E G B	`9 9 10 12`
VII	D7	D F# A C	`2 0 3 2`
VII	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 3 2`
VII	D7	D F# A C	`5 0 0 5`
VII	D7	D F# A C	`5 0 3 2`

Minor Descent (i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII)

Chords: Em7 – D7 – Cmaj7 – D7

E|3---------------------------2---3---3---------------------------|2-----------------------0---3---5---2-----------------------0---|
A|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|3---------------0---3---------------3---------------0---3-------|
D|0-------0---4---5-------------------0-------0---4---5-----------|0-------2---5-----------------------0-------2---5---------------|
G|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2---5-------------------------------2---5-----------------------|

E|7-----------------------7---10--12--7-----------------------7---|2-----------------------0---3---5---2-----------------------0---|
A|10--------------7---10--------------10--------------7---10------|3---------------0---3---------------3---------------0---3-------|
D|9-------9---12----------------------9-------9---12--------------|0-------2---5-----------------------0-------2---5---------------|
G|9---12------------------------------9---12----------------------|2---5-------------------------------2---5-----------------------|

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Em9	E G B D F#	`0 0 2 2`
I	Em9	E G B D F#	`x 0 2 2`
I	Em9	E G B D F#	`x 2 2 2`
I	Em9	E G B D F#	`0 4 2 x`
II	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 2 0 2`
II	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 2 0 x`
II	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`x 2 0 3`
II	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 2 3 2`
III	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`0 0 0 x`
III	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`0 0 0 2`
III	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`x 0 0 2`
III	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`2 0 2 2`
IV	Am9	A C E G B	`0 2 2 x`
IV	Am9	A C E G B	`2 2 2 x`
IV	Am9	A C E G B	`2 2 2 3`
IV	Am9	A C E G B	`x 2 2 3`
V	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x 0 3 2`
V	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`2 0 3 2`
VI	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`0 0 2 0`
VI	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`0 0 2 x`
VI	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`x 0 2 0`
VI	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`0 0 3 x`
VII	D9	D F# A C E	`x 0 0 0`
VII	D9	D F# A C E	`x 2 0 2`
VII	D9	D F# A C E	`x 0 3 0`
VII	D9	D F# A C E	`2 0 3 0`

Minor Descent (i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII)

Chords: Em9 – D9 – Cmaj9 – D9

E|2---------------------------2---3---2---------------------------|0-------------------2---5---0-------------------2---5---0-------|
A|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0-------0---3---5-----------0-------0---3---5-----------0-------|
D|0-------0---4---5-------------------0-------0---4---5-----------|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
G|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

E|0---------------------------2---3---0---------------------------|0-------------------2---5---0-------------------2---5---0-------|
A|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0-------0---3---5-----------0-------0---3---5-----------0-------|
D|0-------0---4---5-------------------0-------0---4---5-----------|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
G|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

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